Green and Black Auratus Dart Frog (Dendrobates auratus) For Sale

Dendrobates auratus is the dart frog that made the hobby. Marbled metallic green over black, widespread from Nicaragua to Colombia, and hardy enough that it has been bred in captivity for decades — it is the species most keepers actually start with.

What you are getting

Captive bred. Every dart frog we sell is captive produced, and for this family that is not a marketing line — it is the whole safety story. Wild dart frogs get their alkaloids from a very specific diet of mites, ants and other small arthropods. Captive frogs eat fruit flies and springtails, never acquire those compounds, and are harmless. We set the science out in why poison dart frogs are not poisonous in captivity.

Auratus is a mid-sized dart frog, typically around 3–4 cm, and slightly more retiring than an Azureus or a leucomelas. It uses cover more, which means a well-planted vivarium is not decoration here — it is what gets the frog to come out at all.

Temperament and housing

Shyer than the two bolder species, and better for it in a group: auratus is generally tolerant of conspecifics and does well kept as a small group in a densely planted enclosure with plenty of leaf litter and hiding places.

These are display animals for a planted, bioactive vivarium: constant humidity, deep leaf litter, a working cleanup crew and no standing heat source. Full husbandry is in dart frog care, and the hardscape and substrate side is in terrarium supplies. Isopods and springtails are the cleanup crew and double as supplemental food.

Provenance and paperwork

The family Dendrobatidae is listed on CITES Appendix II, which regulates international trade. It does not restrict ordinary keeping or domestic sale in the US, but it is part of why we state provenance on every listing rather than rounding it up to the friendliest word available — see about Terrarium Station.

How it ships

Offered as 1 Count, 2 Count or 3 Count. Juvenile dart frogs cannot be sexed externally, so we sell them as counts rather than as sexed pairs — anyone promising you a guaranteed male and female at this size is guessing. Everything ships under our live arrival guarantee.

Common questions

Are green and black auratus poisonous?

Not when captive bred. Their toxins are dietary, sequestered from wild arthropods, and frogs raised on cultured feeder insects never acquire them.

How big does Dendrobates auratus get?

Roughly 3 to 4 cm as an adult, mid-sized for a dart frog.

Is auratus a good first dart frog?

Yes. It is one of the longest-established species in captivity and is forgiving, provided the vivarium stays humid and well planted.

Why is my auratus always hiding?

Usually not enough cover. This species is more retiring than the bolder dart frogs, and adding dense planting and leaf litter typically makes it far more visible, not less.

Can auratus be kept in a group?

Yes, generally. They are tolerant of one another in a large, well-planted vivarium with enough broken sightlines and hiding places.

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